A special "glance back" at the 2012 Disney World Marathon Weekend; dedicated to all my Disney World Marathon Weekend Facebook Friends.
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2012 Disney Half Marathon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvbadLtgIg8
2012 Disney World Marathon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqRBAzvaueg
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The following paragraphs are from a posting I made prior to the 2012 Disney World Marathon Weekend but I believe the message remains true to all of your present and future adventures. Meet each of them with the same enthusiasm, hope and determination as you did this past weekend!
"... After this special weekend has passed, it may be easy to eventually dismiss your race(s) as simply a glorious journey through the magical parks of Walt Disney World. After a short period of time, you may even discount your experience as "another off the bucket list." But promise yourself now, before your adventure, to not allow that to happen.
As you presently stand on the threshold of your first (or fifteenth) Disney race, know that the nervousness you feel is very natural. As all defining moments (i.e. your wedding, child births, career changes, life circumstances, holidays, etc.), this nervousness and anxiety awakens in each of us the awareness that the moment upon us is one that deserves a profound level of wonder and reverence. Believe in your heart that this nervousness, this anxiety, does not stem from any form of self-doubt but your own self-awareness that this approaching moment will be one of "definition." If you allow it (as with all defining moments), it will shape and reshape your life, energize it, redirect it and propel it in new directions and dimensions. As it approaches, stare at it with that childlike wonder and reverence. Let the entire experience -- from Expo to finish line - wash over you with all of its excitement and void of any fear. There is no room for fear at Disney World. You have worked so very hard, so set all doubts aside.
My friend, what you are about to undertake is not simply a race, a Disney experience or a vacation memory. It will be a challenge of not simply "mind over body," but it will be a united effort of your entire mind, body and spirit. The miles under your feet will demand you to answer the question, "Why are you doing this?" So do yourself a favor and answer that question today for yourself -- days before you toe the start line. Write it on your hand with permanent marker, write it on your race jersey... whatever it takes to remember it.
Take that answer with you through every mile and then go one step further: offer up your entire race experience as a prayer for another whom you know would love to trade places with you, but simply can't. Your family and friends will be offering up prayers for your success on the course and you will be doing the same for others while you are on the course -- now THAT is truly a defining moment for so many.
You are the first of the over 450,000 marathoners who will finish a marathon in the United States in 2012 and you will be in great company. There will be many of us running beside you this weekend, so don't think for a moment you will be alone. Much like Life, we run our own race but we run it together... with the ultimate goal of getting to the finish line. Cheer others on while you're out there and gain strength from those cheering you on.
Be thankful for each step forward and offer a word of thanks to the many volunteers who have come out to see you succeed. Remind yourself of one blessing in your life as you finish each mile. Offer up each mile to a friend, colleague or family in physical, psychological or spiritual need. Keep each mile of your race -- whether it is the 5K, relay, half marathon or marathon -- vivid in your mind. Live in that present mile and don't worry about the next one down the road.
When I began running marathons and endurance runs, it was an attempt to push myself further in a physical sense. What I discovered over these years is that it has pushed me even further in a psychological and spiritual sense. There is so much of Life we cannot control and just as in Life, the one thing we can control coming into our race is our attitude and perspective toward it. Stay positive, stay focused, stay determined, and stay centered... and then stay the course. I may not know you personally, but I believe in you and what you are about to undertake. It is your moment and it will be memorable. But also remember that we are in this together -- it is OUR moment and OUR time... and it will be that much more memorable.
Enjoy each step of your race in the House of Mouse, my Disney friend and fellow runner. Godspeed and blessings to you on your journey through Disney World and beyond..."
Peace be your journey, Lee Hoedl
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2012 DISNEY WORLD HALF MARATHON: All Along The Routeby leehoedl3,168 views
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